Middle East conflict: Defence Minister Theo Francken says strike on Iran is “fully justified”

According to Defence Minister Theo Francken, the joint military action by Israel and the United States against Iran is entirely justified. In an interview on De Ochtend on Radio 1, he sharply criticised the Iranian regime as well as the UN Security Council, while outlining what he sees as Europe’s possible role.

A regime of terror

Defence Minister Theo Francken backs the strike without reservation. “The regime in Tehran is one of the most brutal in the world. Its population is subjected to appalling repression. In recent weeks, tens of thousands of people have been killed in cold blood — citizens who were peacefully protesting, innocent civilians, their own people,” he said.

Theo Francken also described Iran as a “deeply malign” actor on the global stage. “Their agenda is to destabilise the West,” he stated. He pointed to Iran’s support for terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah, the detention of Western hostages, and the alleged presence of sleeper cells in Western countries tasked with carrying out attacks.

“The UN Security Council has become a club of cronies”

Theo Francken was equally critical of the United Nations Security Council. “International law as it was conceived after the Second World War, with the Security Council as its guardian, no longer works,” he argued.

According to the Defence Minister, the Council is routinely paralysed by political alliances. “The UN Security Council has turned into a club driven by cronyism, one that looks the other way and remains indifferent in the face of horrific crimes.” He specifically referred to Russia’s backing of Iran, which he believes makes meaningful action through official channels virtually impossible.

Implications for Europe

Theo Francken said he hopes the Iranian regime will ultimately collapse. “That is also in our own interest,” he stressed, pointing not only to Europe’s security but also to the region’s oil and gas reserves and the potential for future trade cooperation.

Although he acknowledges that the road ahead is long, the Defence Minister has a clear vision of the desired outcome. “A free, secular and pro-Western Iran — that would be a dream. But under the current theocracy, it is simply impossible and inconceivable,” he concluded.